Echoes of Empires
Welcome to Echoes of Empires. If you’re looking for a podcast about history, you’ve come to the right place! Because you’ll find over a hundred episodes here about the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Arab Caliphates, Charlemagne’s Empire, the Dark Ages, the Crusades and I’m adding to them all the time.
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Episodes
143 episodes
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 1 "Introduction"
Welcome to Echoes of Empires! If you’re looking for a podcast about history, you’ve come to the right place! Because you’ll find over a hundred episodes here about the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Arab Caliphates, Charlemagne’s Empire, t...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 2 "The Path to Glory"
We continue with the story of Rome's rise to power in the third and second centuries BC, and ask two vital questions: first, did the Romans simply get lucky? Second, how did the Roman legions become the most feared fighting machine of the ancie...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 3 "Hail Caesar"
In this episode, we look at the collapse of the Roman Republic, and the man whose brilliance and whose greed for power, caused a crisis in the Roman world. This was Julius Caesar, the most famous Roman of all.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 4 "Augustus"
Julius Caesar lies dead on the floor of the Senate. What will happen now? The answer lies with a man called Octavian, who will surprise and astonish the ancient world by reinventing the Roman state and ensuring two hundred years of peace - he i...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 5 "Pax Romana"
Augustus' Roman Empire produced over two hundred years of peace in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. It was called the 'Pax Romana', or Roman Peace. It has never been achieved before or since. So, how did the Romans do it? Find out in t...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 6 "The Reign of Commodus"
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the 'Good Emperors'. His son, Commodus, proved to be the exact opposite of his father. A bloodthirsty tyrant, his reign is often seen as marking the beginning of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 7 "The Secret of the Empire"
Tacitus wrote that the Year of the Four Emperors, in 68-69AD, revealed "The Secret of the Empire." It was a secret that would lead to the near collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century. Find out in this episode what that secret was!
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 8 "Persians"
In the third century, Rome faced a reinvigorated Persia, led by the Sasanian dynasty. In 260 AD, the Roman Emperor Valerian was defeated and captured. Allegedly, the Persian King used him as a footstool to mount his horse before flaying him and...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 9 "Germans"
The third century was a time of crisis for the Roman Empire. Not only was Persia revived by the Sasanians but, in the West, the Germans posed a far greater threat than ever before. Find out why in this episode!
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 10 "Goths"
More than any other Germanic tribe, the Goths would dominate Roman history from the third to the sixth centuries. In this episode, we hear how they were the first of Rome's many enemies to precipitate the crisis of the third century.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 11 "Plague"
The decline of the Roman Empire was not only due to barbarian invasions and civil war. In the second century AD, it was hit by the first pandemic known in human history: the Antonine Plague. Was it germs rather than Germans that brought down th...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 12 "Climate Change"
You might not immediately associate climate change with the Roman Empire but in fact it was critically important both to Rome's rise to power and also to its fall. Find out why here!
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 13 "The Fall before the Fall"
One of the most fascinating parts of Roman history is the little known "Fall before the Fall". This was the period from around AD 250 to 275 when the Roman Empire broke up into three separate parts. It was a close-run thing if the empire would ...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 14 "A New Type of Emperor"
We've now reached one of the most exciting parts of Roman history. With the break-up of the Roman Empire in the AD 260s, the situation looked extremely bleak. But this was the catalyst for revolution, and the emergence of a new breed of tough s...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 15 "A New Army"
In the late AD 260s, under the leadership of the soldier-Emperor, Claudius 'Gothicus', the Roman army started to turn the tide against its enemies. So, how and why had the Roman army changed? Find out in this episode!
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 16 "Man of Steel"
When Claudius Gothicus died of the plague in AD270, it seemed as if the Roman fight back against the barbarian invasions might be stalled. But his deputy, Aurelian, quickly assumed the purple and led the Roman armies to even greater glories.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 17 "The Battle for the East"
In the AD 270s, the Roman Empire was fighting for its life. But the Emperor Aurelian was one of the best generals in Rome's history. He managed to defeat a German invasion of Italy and then pushed the Goths back over the Danube. He was now read...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 18 "The Defeat of Palmyra"
In AD 272, the Emperor Aurelian's eastern offensive was in full swing. His army recaptured Antioch while, in the south, the Roman navy reconquered Egypt. But Palmyra was far from finished and great battles were still to be fought.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 19 "The World Restored"
Having defeated Palmyra in AD 272, Aurelian turned west to face the breakaway Gallic Empire. Could he now reunite the Roman Empire?
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 20 "Diocletian's New Empire"
In AD 284, a new Emperor seized the purple. His name was Diocletianus, or Diocletian, as he is better known to us. He had a new vision of the Empire which was as revolutionary as that of Augustus, three hundred years before.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 21 "Diocletian's New Economics"
Diocletian's greatest innovation may sound mundane but it was to form the basis of the financial strength of the Roman and Byzantine Empires for centuries to come. It was the reform of the Roman tax system.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 22 "Tetrarchs and Christians"
In the late third century, the Roman Empire was changing rapidly. Civil war had done much to contribute to its near destruction. Now, the radical Emperor Diocletian came up with an innovative solution for this - the Tetrarchy. He also dec...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 23 "The Rise of Christianity"
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roman Empire was the rapid rise of Christianity in the late third and fourth centuries. While much attention has been focused on the roles of emperors, like Diocletian, who persecuted the Christians, an...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 24 "Constantine's Conversion"
The Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity shortly before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in AD 312 is seen as a landmark event in not just the history of the Roman Empire but of Christianity, and indeed of the entire world. But what...
The Fall of the Roman Empire Episode 25 "Constantinople"
The Emperor Constantine is probably best remembered for his conversion to Christianity. But his founding of the city of Constantinople was another landmark event that was to shape the entire future of the Roman Empire.